CNN "Erin Burnett Outfront" - Transcript: Interview with Chris Van Hollen

Interview

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SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN (D-MD): So Erin, it's good to be with you. I don't think it's shaping up to be successful. I mean, that's my assessment as of right now. And the most important thing is at the end of the day what we pass has to embrace that bold vision that President Biden put forward in both the American jobs plan and the American family plan.

And even if somehow this bipartisan agreement were to work out, it would not begin to cover and match that vision, so no matter what, we need to be working right now on that reconciliation package and bringing everybody on board. After all, the President has negotiated in good faith, but just like he did with the American rescue plan when Republicans refused to come to the table, we need to do the right thing for the country.

BURNETT: So is there anything that you have heard and it sounds like the answer to this is no, given what you're saying about your outlook here. But from Sen. Manchin, Sen. Sinema, that makes you think at this point they'll say, OK, cool, we'll get on board. We're going to vote for this even without any GOP support, because obviously to get this through, you need Sen. Manchin right now. He has just not indicated he's there on a party line vote.

VAN HOLLEN: Well, you just cited some Republicans in the Senate that made the point that you need to get to 10 Republican senators to have any chance of bringing this forward. And right now, I don't see any way to count to 10 on any kind of bipartisan bill that would meet the President's test, even that narrower test as a first part of a plan.

So the President has done everything that those Democratic senators asked for. He's engaged in weeks of bipartisan negotiations. At the end of the day, if we can't get the Republicans on board, we need to move forward and my view is that time has come. My view is we need to ...

BURNETT: But are you willing to fail? I mean, what if Manchin doesn't go with you, then you guys fail even on a party vote.

VAN HOLLEN: I think at the end of the day, when it comes to the President's jobs plan and President's American Families Plan, we'll see the same result as we saw on the American Rescue Plan, which is attempt the bipartisan approach. Time has run out. Now, we need to take the other path. We cannot just sort of twiddle our thumbs at the negotiating table, while the time fritters away.

BURNETT: So I want to ask you, because I mentioned you do sit on the Foreign Relations Committee, Biden is obviously overseas on his first trip in that capacity as president. And he's going to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin next week, it's on the schedule.

According to our reporting, there are some in his own administration, his inner circle who are skeptical of setting up a meeting with Putin. Do you think a meeting with Putin is a good idea, Senator?

VAN HOLLEN: I do. I think the President needs to sit down with Putin face-to-face and make it clear that the conduct and the actions coming out of Russia and from Putin are unacceptable to the United States, whether it's Russia essentially harboring those who are launching cyber attacks on U.S. infrastructure, whether it's the actions Putin's taken in Ukraine and most recently the court decision in Moscow today to outlaw Navalny's political move.

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What this shows is that Putin is afraid of democracy, we know that, and it would be really important for the President as the leader of the free world, somebody who has reengaged United States on the global scene, focusing on democracy and human rights to tell Vladimir Putin that what he's doing is unacceptable and why is he so afraid of a vote by the Russian people. I think we know the answer, but I think it's important that President Biden make that point directly.

BURNETT: Sen. Van Hollen, thank you.

VAN HOLLEN: Thank you.

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